A listing of one preferred embodiment of the computer code is submitted herewith as FIGS. 13-24.
A portion of the disclosure of this application contains material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights in and to the material of this disclosure.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to computer programs involving double crostic techniques. More specifically, the invention relates to a computer program for creating, storing, printing, organizing, solving, and publishing double crostic puzzles.
2. State of the Art
Word games and vocabulary puzzles are popular forms of entertainment. Perhaps the best known of such games is the crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzles can be found in daily newspapers, weekly magazines, monthly periodicals, and in puzzle books dedicated solely to the task of solving crossword puzzles. Over the past decade a number of computer programs capable of aiding in the creation of crossword puzzles have been written. Such programs allow the user of the program to create word sets, clues sets, and solution sets to facilitate the creation of a computer generated crossword puzzle. A representative example of such a program is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,438 issued to Peter H. Rehm.
Similar in some respects to crossword puzzles, double crostic puzzles are becoming more popular as word games. Double crostic puzzles are also sometimes called acrostic puzzles, but for the purposes of this disclosure the term double crostic puzzle will be used to consistently refer to both double crostic puzzles and acrostic puzzles. An example of an unsolved hard copy double crostic puzzle is illustrated in FIG. 1. The corresponding solution set to the double crostic puzzle illustrated in FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2.
A typical double crostic puzzle involves two encrypted messages. Often times, the encrypted messages are related. For example, the first encrypted message may be the name of a person and the second encrypted message may be a quote from the person identified by the first encrypted message. A solution to the double crostic puzzle in the example would reveal the quotation and the name of the individual who coined the quotation. A solution is achieved by deciphering a set of solution words. Each letter of the solution words corresponds with a letter in the encrypted messages. As the solution words are deciphered, the encrypted messages are revealed. Much like a crossword puzzle, each solution word has a corresponding clue which enables deciphering of the solution word. For example, the clue xe2x80x9cRoses are red, Violets are_xe2x80x9d would prompt the solution word xe2x80x9cblue.xe2x80x9d
One of the unique features of a double crostic puzzle is that the set of solution words is partially determined from the first encrypted message. Each letter of the first encrypted message corresponds to the first letter in exactly one solution word. As the solution words are deciphered, a solution to the first encrypted message is produced. Likewise, the letters of the solution words correspond to exactly one letter in the second encrypted message such that, as the solution words are deciphered, a solution to the second encrypted message is revealed. Therefore, the letter xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d of the solution word xe2x80x9cbluexe2x80x9d in the example above would correspond to one letter in the first encrypted message, and each of the letters xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d xe2x80x9clxe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cuxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d would correspond to letters in the second encrypted message.
To best illustrate the workings of a double crostic puzzle, a double crostic puzzle in both an unsolved and solved state is examined. An example of an unsolved double crostic puzzle is illustrated in FIG. 1. Two encrypted messages are displayed: a first encrypted message 500 and a second encrypted message 510. A set of undeciphered solution words 520 and their corresponding clues 530 are also depicted. The position of the letters making up the encrypted messages 500 and 510 are represented by letter lines wherein in each letter line represents one letter in the solution of the encrypted message. Beneath each letter line is an index number and a solution word identifier.
The numbers beneath the letter lines in the second encrypted message 510 are consecutively numbered beginning with the number xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and ending with the number xe2x80x9c141.xe2x80x9d The consecutive numbering scheme provides an index number for each letter. As illustrated, each undeciphered solution word in the set of solution words 520 is also represented by a letter line and an index number. The index numbers appearing below the letter lines of the set of solution words 520 correspond with the index numbers of the second encrypted message 510. Each of the index numbers in the second encrypted message 510 appears only once within the letter lines of the set of solution words 520. The solution of the double crostic puzzle may therefore be produced by deciphering the solution words. As the solution words are deciphered, the letter lines of the solution words may be filled in and the letter corresponding to the index number of a letter line in the solution word may be transcribed into the second encrypted message 510 on the letter line having the corresponding index number. As additional solution words are deciphered, a greater portion of the second encrypted message 510 is revealed. In addition, the first encrypted message 500 is represented by a set of letter lines having index numbers corresponding to the first letter line in each of the solution words in the set of solution words 520. As the solution words are deciphered, the letter appearing in the first letter line position of the solution word may be transcribed onto the letter line of the first encrypted message 500 corresponding to the index number of the solution word letter line. The index numbers thereby provide a means with which to associate the letters contained in the set of solution words 520 with the letter lines of the encrypted messages 500 and 510 so that, as the solution words are deciphered, the encrypted messages 500 and 510 are revealed.
It is also possible to work backwards by solving portions of one of the encrypted messages and transcribing the letters in the solved letter lines onto the corresponding letter lines in the set of solution words 520 such that the solution words may be deciphered. In addition to index number identification, each of the letter lines of the encrypted messages 500 and 510 are identified by solution word identifiers to provide a cross reference to the set of solution words 520. The solution word identifiers in FIG. 1 are the letters xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d through xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d which appear next to the index numbers. Each solution word in the set of solution words 520 is represented by a solution word identifier. The letter lines in the solution word correspond to the solution word identifier. For example, the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d corresponds to the solution word clue xe2x80x9cWalk noiselessly or carefully.xe2x80x9d Each letter line in the solution word therefore corresponds to the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cI.xe2x80x9d This identification allows an individual attempting to solve the double crostic puzzle to view the encrypted messages 500 and 510 and associate all of the letter lines identified by the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d with the solution word represented by the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cI.xe2x80x9d If a letter line in one of the encrypted messages 500 and 510 is solved without the aid of the solution word and corresponding index number, the solution word identifier in the encrypted message provides a simple cross-reference to the solution word by using the solved letter lines of the encrypted message to decipher the corresponding solution words.
FIG. 2 further clarifies the concept behind a double crostic puzzle. The solution to the unsolved double crostic puzzle of FIG. 1 is depicted in FIG. 2. The solution word corresponding to the solution word clue xe2x80x9cWalk noiselessly or carefullyxe2x80x9d is xe2x80x9cTIPTOE.xe2x80x9d The letters making up the solution word xe2x80x9cTIPTOExe2x80x9d are each associated with an index number. The first letter xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d is associated with index number xe2x80x9c75xe2x80x9d; the second letter xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d is associated with the index number xe2x80x9c54xe2x80x9d; and so on. Each letter associated with the solution word also appears in the encrypted messages 500 and 510 at the appropriate letter line identified by the corresponding index number of the letter line. Likewise, the letter line represented by index number xe2x80x9c117xe2x80x9d in the second encrypted message is xe2x80x9cA.xe2x80x9d The corresponding solution word identifier for that letter line is the letter xe2x80x9cR.xe2x80x9d Therefore, it is known that the letter xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d represented by index number xe2x80x9c117xe2x80x9d belongs in the solution word identified by the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d and solution word clue xe2x80x9cAll the world is sad and_ . . . xe2x80x9d The fourth letter line in the solution word corresponding to the solution word identifier xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d has the index number xe2x80x9c117xe2x80x9d so it is known that the fourth letter line in the solution word is xe2x80x9cA.xe2x80x9d As the solution words are determined, or as portions of the encrypted messages 500 and 510 are solved, the solution to the double crostic puzzle is revealed.
Typically, a double crostic puzzle as depicted in FIG. 1 is solved by hand. For example, a solution word is deciphered and each of the letters in the solution word are transcribed into positions in the encrypted messages corresponding to the index numbers of the letter lines of the solution words. Likewise, letters from letter lines in the encrypted messages which are obvious may be transcribed to the letter lines in the set of solution words corresponding to the solution word identifiers and index numbers, thereby providing a method with which to decipher solution words. This process can be long and tedious, and frequently, a number of errors occur during the solution process which require the changing of letters and rearrangement of corresponding letters in the solution sets. Therefore, it is desirous to automate the solution process of double crostic puzzles.
Just as computer programs which facilitate the creation and solving of crossword puzzles exist, so do computer programs for the creation and solving of double crostic puzzles and acrostic puzzles. The automation processes provided by computer programs provide an environment in which double crostic puzzles may be solved without the tedium of solving double crostic puzzles by hand. Double crostic puzzle computer programs also provide a means with which to distribute puzzles to a large populace through electronic file transfer. A creator of a double crostic puzzle may encode the puzzle in electronic format and share the puzzle with an individual living in another country by means of electronic file transfer over the internet or modem. In addition files may be saved to media such as floppy disks, compact discs, dvd disks, hard drives and the like.
One example of a computer program which may be used to solve double crostic puzzles is the E-Crostic(copyright) computer program by QuuxWare, copyrighted in 1998 by David Howorth. The E-Crostic(copyright) program is available as download over the internet and provides a visual environment in which a user may solve a double crostic puzzle which has been created and saved in the E-Crostic(copyright) format. The visual environment provided by the E-Crostic(copyright) program is similar to that described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the only difference being that the E-Crostic(copyright) program provides boxes instead of letter lines for the second encrypted message. The E-Crostic(copyright) program automates the process of solving the double crostic puzzles. A user may enter letters in the letter lines of the solution words or in the boxes (letter lines) of the encrypted messages. As the user inputs a letter in a letter line defined by the index number, the E-Crostic(copyright) program automatically places a copy of the letter in the letter line corresponding to the index number. For example, if the letter xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d is input into a solution word letter line having an index number of xe2x80x9c54xe2x80x9d the letter xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d is copied to the letter line or lines in the encrypted messages having the same index number xe2x80x9c54.xe2x80x9d The process of filling in the letter lines is thereby automated. The automation process allows the simultaneous transcription of letters between the letter lines of the solution words and encrypted messages so that the user need not spend the time transcribing the answers. In addition, the automation process allows the user to rapidly correct mistakes in solution words or an encrypted message without the tedium associated with solving double crostic puzzles by hand. The E-Crostic(copyright) program also provides the user with the option of printing the double crostic puzzle in hard copy format so that the double crostic puzzle may be solved by hand.
Another computer program allows the user to both create and solve double crostic puzzles. The ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) for Windows computer program copyrighted in 1997 by Sam Bellatto Jr. allows a user to open double crostic puzzles saved in the ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) format and solve them in much the same way as the E-Crostic(copyright) program. The ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) program also allows the user to create and save a double crostic puzzle in electronic format. A completed puzzle may also be printed in hard copy format for manual solving.
The creation of a double crostic puzzle using the ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) program entails opening a new file for input by the program of the data obtained by the user which is used to create the double crostic puzzle. The ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) program first prompts the user to enter a message which is to be encrypted. This is similar to the second encrypted message described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Next, the user is prompted for the author of the message, or what is to become the first encrypted message of FIGS. 1 and 2. The ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) program then creates a set of letter lines for the solution words from the letters of the author message. The user is then allowed to create a set of solution words using the set of letters from the first message entered by the user. ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) visually displays the message from which the letters for the set of solution words may be chosen. As each letter of the solution words is placed, the letter disappears from the message and is no longer available to create solution words. As the user creates the solution words, ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) also provides a letter bank which displays how many of each letter remain for use in the set of solution words. The ENIGMACROSS(trademark)(copyright) program, however, does not allow the user to use letters which are not available in the message list, or use more letters than are available in the message list. After the set of solution words is created, the user is prompted to enter the clues for the solution words. The double crostic puzzle is then complete, and it may be saved in electronic format so others may attempt to solve the puzzle.
Although the computer programs which provide automated creation and solving of double crostic puzzles are available, it would be advantageous to provide additional features and automation components in a double crostic computer program to enhance the creation and solving of double crostic puzzles.
The present invention generally involves a computer program for creating, printing, storing, organizing, solving and publicizing double crostic puzzles and playing a solitaire game based upon the double crostic puzzle theme. The computer program allows a user to create or solve double crostic puzzles with minimal effort because the computer program accomplishes the xe2x80x9cbook keepingxe2x80x9d and layout requirements of a double crostic puzzle. In addition, the computer program may be used as a solitaire game wherein the user attempts to create a puzzle from a preselected letter bank.
Generally, the computer program prompts a user to select one of at least three options: create a double crostic puzzle, solve a double crostic puzzle, or play the double crostic solitaire game. Depending upon the users selection, a series of programming steps are executed.
The creation of a double crostic puzzle requires a user to input two messages. The first message being an identifier of the second message and the second message being a quotation or the like. From the letters of the first message, the computer organizes a list from which a set of solution words may be created. The computer analyzes the second message entered by the user and develops a letter bank corresponding to the letters of the message. Each letter in the letter bank is assigned a reference pointer corresponding to its position within the message. The user is prompted to create solution words from the letters available to the user as reflected in the letter bank. As individual solution words are created, the computer keeps track of the number of letters remaining in the letter bank and displays the information to the user. If at any time the user uses letters to create solution words which are no longer available from the letter bank, the displayed letter bank indicates a negative value but allows the user to continue to form solution words. A proper set of solution words results when all of the letters of the letter bank have been used exactly once in the creation of the set of solution words. The user is then prompted to input clues for each solution word. The creation of the double crostic puzzle is complete after a valid set of solution words is created for the messages and all of the clues for the solution words have been inputted. The puzzle may then be saved to some form of computer storage media or transferred via the internet.
The computer program is capable of reading or loading double crostic puzzles stored in the format recognized by the computer program. The computer program prompts the user for the name or location of the file containing the data of the double crostic puzzle. The data is loaded into the memory of the computer or made accessible to the computer program. An output device associated with computer, such as a monitor, is prompted to display letter lines for each of the two messages and a set of solution words. The clues used to decipher the solution words are also displayed. Solution of the double crostic puzzle is accomplished by entry of letters into the letter lines of the messages and the solution words. As a letter is entered into the letter line of a solution word, the same letter is transcribed by the computer program into the corresponding line within the messages. Likewise, if a letter is entered in a letter line of one of the messages, the same letter is transcribed into the letter line associated with one of the solution word corresponding to the letter line of the message. A solution, or partial solution, may be saved at any time such that the user may later return to the puzzle and complete the solution process. In addition, a hard copy of the double crostic puzzle may be printed so that a hand solution may be generated.
The double crostic solitaire game allows users to play a game and improve their double crostic puzzle creation skills. The double crostic solitaire game prompts the user for a message from which a set of solution words is established. Each letter of the message entered is transcribed as a first letter to a solution word in the set of solution words. A letter bank is provided to the user from which solution words may be created. The letter bank may be a pre-specified word group or a word group chosen by the user. Based upon the available letters in the letter bank, the user must create a set of solution words which only use the letters from the letter bank. Thus, the double crostic solitaire game is very similar to the creation of a double crostic puzzle, with the exception that the letter bank is a predefined finite set of letters rather than being dependent on the letters in a second message.